Roses and Violets
by geekinthepink614
Summary: A family friend of Ciel's arrives to help him with a kidnapping case, leading to meetings with the Phantomhive's quiet footman and a certain playful grey-eyed Earl. (SnakexOcxCharles Grey)
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes: I don't have much of a plot planned for this story; there's a little at the beginning and certain developments sprinkled throughout, but it's mostly just gonna be cute fluffy stuff.**

 **Obviously, I don't own Black Butler or any of its characters. I do, however, own my OCs. Many of whom may or may not be thinly veiled references to** _ **Sweeney Todd**_ **.**

 **Enjoy the prologue!**

* * *

 _To: The Baroness Sweeney_

 _Baroness Isabel Sweeney,_

 _I hope this letter finds you in good health. It's been much too long since last I saw you._

 _I know that you are not one for idle pleasantries, so I'll get right to the point. I am writing you to request your assistance. I'm sure the news has reached you by now regarding the recent string of kidnappings plaguing London. Her Majesty has ordered me to investigate the matter but it has been taking longer than I had hoped it would. I'm afraid I cannot divulge much more at this time except to say that we do have a prime suspect. I believe this case will benefit greatly from the assistance only a Sweeney can provide. I do hope that you will at least consider._

 _With all respect,_

 _Earl Phantomhive_

* * *

 _To: Baroness I. Sweeney_

 _My dear friend,_

 _I write to you this day with disquieting news. There have been multiple cases of young women going missing in London. Thus far, Scotland Yard has yet to turn up any significant leads and even Earl Phantomhive has been having trouble with the case. My heart aches more each passing day for the families of these poor women and I want to see this matter resolved as soon as possible. To that end, I was hoping you might offer your family's skill set to the Earl. I believe your family's talents will be of great help._

 _I do hope to hear from you soon. You simply must come for tea the next time you find yourself in London, my dear._

 _Victoria_

* * *

"So the young Earl needs our help, does he?" the old woman, Isabel, asked with a chuckle as she set the letters down and looked up at the young man and woman seated on either side of her.

"What shall we do, grandmother?" the man asked. "If the Queen herself is asking for help, this case must be a serious one."

"Aye," the girl agreed with a nod. "I'd heard tell of women going missing but I didn't think it was getting to be this much of a problem. They've got to be pretty clever too if they've managed to stump Ciel Phantomhive."

"Naturally, I shall do as my Queen and the Earl request and send some help. By the sounds of it, this is a job that will only require one of you," Isabel replied. A mischievous smile took over her face and she turned her gaze toward the girl. "I assume it won't take much to convince you to make a trip to London, will it, Johanna?"

The girl, Johanna, smiled as well. "Do you even have to ask? I'll begin preparing immediately!"

"Very good. See that you do as quickly as possible," Isabel said. "I shall have to send replies to both my Queen and the Earl."

* * *

 _To: Earl Phantomhive_

 _Earl Ciel Phantomhive,_

 _I have been made aware of the situation and I would be more than happy to lend you some assistance. At present, I still have a few things that need to be taken care of so I am a bit limited as to the amount of assistance I can provide. With that said, my granddaughter has eagerly volunteered to offer you her support. I assume that only one of the Twin Vipers of Belfast will be sufficient enough to end this case quickly. She will be arriving in London in half a fortnight._

 _I. Sweeney_

"Sebastian," Ciel began as he read over the letter. "We will be receiving an important guest a week's time. See to it that everything is ready by the time she arrives."

"Of course, my Lord," Sebastian replied with a bow.

* * *

 _To: Her Royal Majesty, Queen Victoria_

 _Dearest friend,_

 _I would be more than happy to lend the young Earl my family's assistance. Coincidentally, he wrote to me requesting help around the same time that you did. Regrettably, I am unable to send both of the Vipers. We have a number of cases left to clear up in both Ireland and Wales and this old body isn't as spry as it once was, so I need to keep my grandson around to do the legwork. Just the same, my dear sweet Johanna will be making her way to London very soon. She seemed more than eager to assist the Earl; I have no doubts that she missed the boy. I hope the limited help I can provide will be a boon to the case and I look forward to seeing you the next time I find myself in London._

 _Isabel_

Queen Victoria couldn't help the smile that overtook her features, her two butlers ever present at her side and looking on curiously. "It's always lovely to hear from Isabel. It's nice to know the years haven't dulled her sense of wit."

"Forgive me for asking, Your Majesty, but who is Baroness Sweeney?" inquired Charles Phipps. "I know that the family owns a number of clothing shops throughout Britain, but from what I understand nobody has ever actually seen the members of the family."

"And what's this about the Vipers?" asked Charles Grey. "I'm assuming she meant the Vipers of Belfast. Does she have ties to those assassins?"

"Of course she does," Victoria chuckled. "The Vipers are her grandchildren. As for who Isabel is, all you need to know for the moment is that she is one of my oldest and most trusted friends and that her granddaughter is coming to assist Earl Phantomhive with his latest case. I imagine things are going to get interesting."

* * *

 **Ending Notes: I have no idea if I got the format and wording right for Victorian era letters.**

 **We're going to see more of Johanna in the next chapter and figure out more about her family, profession, and her ties to Ciel.**

 **Please feel free to let me know what you think! Feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome! Thank you so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


	2. The Arrival

**Author's Notes: Damn, y'all! I wasn't expecting such a positive turnout for just one chapter! You guys are the best!**

 **As far as I know, there's no set age for either Grey or Snake at this point, but I personally see Snake somewhere in the 17-19 range and Grey in the 21-23 range. Johanna is 19 at the start of the story, but I do have a birthday chapter planned.**

 **I also wanted to let you all know that I'm going to be taking prompts and requests from you guys regarding what kinds of stuff you'd like to see. Feel free to send me a review or PM with anything you'd like me to try to write and I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't totally suck.**

* * *

"Say, do you lot know anythin' about this guest that's comin'?" Bardroy asked as he and the rest of the servants, minus Sebastian, set about getting the manor ready. "The Master seemed almost excited that this person was comin' to pay us a visit."

"That would make sense," Tanaka replied. "The lady coming to visit us is an old friend of the young Master's. Her full name is Lady Johanna Juliette Sweeney."

"'Sweeney'?" Mei-Rin repeated. "You mean the elusive noble family in Ireland?"

Tanaka nodded. "The very same. The Sweeney and Phantomhive families have been both business associates and close friends for generations. The young Master and Lady Johanna are no exception; she and her twin brother, Nicholas, have known the Master since they were small children. I have also heard that the current head of the family, Baroness Isabel, is a close personal friend of Queen Victoria."

Bardroy whistled. "A family with royal connections, eh? I bet they've got a decent amount of pull around here, don't they?"

"Hang on," Finny interjected. "If the Master is so close to these people, how come they've never come to visit until now?"

"Well, I'm not sure about all of the details, but I know that the family's line of work keeps them pretty busy," Tanaka explained. "If I recall correctly, the twins and their grandmother did come to visit the Master a few years ago. That was before he had hired you all, though. Even though they can't come by as much as they'd like to, Lady Johanna and Lord Nicholas write to the Master as often as they are able. I believe they view him as a younger brother of sorts and I have a feeling that he sees them in a similar light. To that end, we must strive to make sure that everything goes smoothly during the Lady's visit. The young Master's reunion with his old friend should be as enjoyable as possible."

"Right!" the remaining servants agreed with a quick salute before rushing off to complete their duties.

* * *

"I have to say, my Lord, this is most eager I've seen you in quite some time," Sebastian commented as he and Ciel waited near the docks. Johanna had informed him that she would be arriving to London by boat and Ciel was fairly quick to jump at the chance to greet her personally.

"Quiet, you. What I'm eager to do is close this case as quickly as possible," Ciel grunted. In truth, he was happy that he'd finally found a reason to call Johanna back to England, but he couldn't let Sebastian know that. For all that he enjoyed the correspondence between them, it just wasn't the same as actually having his surrogate sister close by. It was regrettable that her stay in London wouldn't be for more than a few days, but he would take what he could get.

"Ciel, my boy!" a voice called out as the Earl found himself startled out of his thoughts and pulled into a tight hug. He looked up to see a young woman with black hair falling in gentle waves down to her mid-back, her bright aquamarine eyes sparking with amusement. "I dare say you've gotten a little taller since the last time I saw you."

"It's been too long, Johanna," Ciel replied. He didn't return the hug but Sebastian noticed that his visible eye turned just a touch warmer. "I'm glad to see you've been doing well. I'm sorry to cut this greeting short, but would it be alright if we continued catching up in the carriage? Her Majesty requested that I bring you to see her once you arrived."

Johanna nodded before reluctantly releasing the boy. "Of course. Grandmother had mentioned that the Queen would likely want to see me once I made it here. We shouldn't keep her waiting."

"In that case, please allow me to take those bags for you, my lady," Sebastian interjected as he stepped up beside Johanna and picked up the suitcases she had set down next to her.

"Efficient as ever, aren't you Sebastian?" Johanna replied. "It's good to know that Ciel has someone like you to rely on, especially with all that's been happening."

"Your praise is too much, my lady," Sebastian said with a bow. "After all, a Phantomhive butler that can't ensure the wellbeing of his master isn't worth his salt."

* * *

"So what can you tell me about this case you've been working on?" Johanna asked as she, Ciel, and Sebastian began the carriage ride to Buckingham Palace.

"There have been a number of young women going missing over the past month," Ciel explained. "All of the kidnappings have taken place in London, so I'm fairly certain the person or people committing the kidnappings lives in or close to the city."

Johanna nodded. "That makes locating them easier, then. You also mentioned in your letter to my grandmother that you have a prime suspect."

"That's correct," Ciel affirmed. "I suspect that a nobleman by the name of Geoffrey Turpin is behind most, if not all, of the kidnappings. A number of the women that have gone missing were reportedly last seen at parties he was hosting; I do have witness statements that the women were last seen with him before disappearing as well. Unfortunately I'm unable to bring him in without any proof."

"I'm assuming that's what you need me for," Johanna said. "Is there anything the women that have been taken have in common besides their sex?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid it isn't much to go on. All of the women reported missing have been young and unmarried. I suspect this is because it's easier to get them alone."

"Not having a husband or fiancee in the picture might also make it easier for Turpin to charm the women into doing what he wants," Johanna added.

Ciel nodded. "That's true. I've also spoken with Undertaker and he says that none of the missing women have been his 'customers'. This indicates the possibility they're still alive somewhere. That's where you come in. Lord Turpin will be hosting another party in three days time; I need you to figure set yourself up to become his next target. With any luck, we'll be able to figure out where he's been keeping the women and what he does with them once they're taken." He glanced out the carriage window. "We can work out the details of our plan later. We've arrived at the palace now."

* * *

"It's so good to see you again, Johanna!" Queen Victoria chirped, Grey and Phipps ever present at her side as Johanna and Ciel stood before her. She motioned for Johanna to come closer. "Come here, my dear. Let me get a good look at you." She reached out her hands to cup Johanna's face once the girl had knelt before her. "You've grown so much since the last time I saw you. You look just like your dear, departed mother." She sighed before shaking her head and smiling again. "From what I understand, you and your brother are making quite a name for yourselves. Isabel must be very proud; she always said the two of held more potential than even your father."

"Insofar as one can make a name for themselves without anyone actually knowing their name," Ciel commented.

Johanna laughed at the comment before smiling back at the Queen. "It's true. Grandmother always told us we'd surpass our father someday, though I imagine his demise, along with our mother's, is what spurred us on to become stronger in the first place."

Victoria's smile grew sympathetic and she withdrew her hands from Johanna's face. "Yes. What a horrible tragedy their deaths were. I can't fathom how hard that must have been for the two of you. I know Isabel was extremely distraught to have to bury her son and daughter-in-law."

"Grandmother is a very resilient woman, though, Your Majesty," Johanna replied as she stood again. "We all mourned for my father and mother, but it's an unspoken understanding in our family that death is an occupational hazard. Each time one of us takes an assignment, we accept the fact that we might not make it back alive."

"You cannot be serious," Grey interjected. He reached out to gently trail the back of his hand down Johanna's cheek. "Forgive me, my darling, but I simply cannot believe that someone as small and delicate as you is one of the Vipers of Belfast. I mean no offense but you're about as intimidating as rabb-"

Grey found himself forced to the floor of the throne room before he could finish the sentence, the arm that had been reaching toward Johanna now pinned behind his back and Johanna's weight settled on top of him with one of her knees pressed in between his shoulder blades. He was able to catch the smug smirk on Ciel's face as well as the amused smile on the queen's face. Phipps appeared outwardly impassive, as he always did, but Grey could see amusement lining his features as well.

"For the record, if you were one of my targets and I actually had a weapon on me, you'd be dead right now," Johanna said, her once warm and affectionate voice now cold and unfeeling. "I'm a woman that wears many faces, depending on what's called for. I'm not sure what you were expecting a trained assassin to look and act like but, in my line of work, unassuming is the look that benefits us the most; it tends to lead people to underestimate us and therefore makes them easier to eliminate." She smirked before leaning down so that her mouth was right next to his ear, her tone becoming more teasing. "Do you understand now, _darling_?"

Grey took a breath and cleared his throat in an attempt to suppress the shiver that traveled up his spine at the sound of Johanna's voice. "Lord Grey, actually. Charles Grey."

Ciel cleared his throat. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but Johanna and I must be getting back to the manor. She and I have some things to discuss concerning our plan for the kidnapping case and we need to give ourselves enough time to get everything ready."

"Oh, of course!" Victoria replied, before turning a kind smile to Johanna. "I know you've had a long day of traveling as well, Johanna. It was wonderful to see you again, my dear. I do hope you'll come with Earl Phantomhive to report on the case's outcome."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Johanna agreed before moving her weight off of Grey and standing straight again. She smiled warmly and curtsied before the queen as Grey moved back to his place beside the throne. "It was an honor to see you again. Earl Phantomhive and I will be touch once all is done. By your leave." Johanna had made her way back to Ciel before she turned around to face the queen and her butlers again. "Oh, and Lord Grey?"

"Mmm?" the butler grunted, turning his head to look at her.

Johanna smirked before curtsying again. "Thank you...for your cooperation." With that, Ciel and Johanna exited the throne room.

* * *

"Well, that was interesting," Victoria commented, her amused smile hidden behind her fan.

"How do you mean, Your Majesty?" Grey asked.

"I am well aware of what Johanna is capable of, but I'm also aware of how strong you are, Lord Grey. Johanna might be the faster of the twins but I know that she isn't anywhere near as strong as her brother," Victoria explained. "You could have easily thrown her off of you at any time, yet you didn't."

"She just surprised me, that's all," Grey reasoned.

"That still doesn't explain why you allowed her to stay perched on top of you for as long as she did," Phipps chimed in. "Even if she had managed to get the drop on you, your recovery time should have enabled you to force her off after a few seconds. I suspect that she realized this as well, hence her comment to you before she left." He paused. "Unless, of course, you just enjoyed having her there."

"It wasn't like that!" Grey retorted, trying in vain to ignore the heat rising to his cheeks. "She just... I was..."

Victoria chuckled. "Even so, it's a shame she won't be staying in London for very long." Her smile only widened when Grey glanced at her in confusion. "Once the case has been closed, she'll most likely be heading back to Belfast. Unless, of course, someone was able to convince her to stay."

Grey merely grunted in response as he tried in vain to get the sweet scent of Johanna's fragrance and the softness of her body out of his mind.

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Well, we've got the beginning of Johanna and Grey's relationship going. Something tells me he'd be more likely to fall for a fighter than a woman who remains constantly quiet and demure. His relationship with Johanna is going to be full of playful teasing and flirtation. Something also tells me that 'darling' is going to end up becoming a playful petname between the two of them.**

 **Snake is going to appear in the next chapter. His relationship with Johanna is going to be much more traditionally fluffy since I can't really see him being courageous enough to openly flirt with her (unless it's through one of his snakes). I'm also thinking of writing two separate endings where Johanna ends up with either Snake or Grey depending on which ending the reader picks.**

 **Let me know what you guys think! Feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome! Thank you all so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


	3. Laying The Groundwork

**Author's Notes: Thank you all so much for being patient while I took for-freaking-ever to get this out to you! You all are the best!**

* * *

"So, what would you have me do?" Johanna asked as she and Ciel sat down in his study. "Would you prefer an infiltration or a stealth assassination?"

"While an assassination would be much quicker and I'd rather get this case over with as soon as possible, I believe an infiltration would be best," Ciel replied as Sebastian placed a cup of tea in front of him. "If the Undertaker's information is correct and the women are still alive somewhere, we need to know where Turpin is keeping them and what he plans on using them for."

"Right. So all I need to do is charm him at the upcoming party and then play damsel once he does whatever he does to the women he kidnaps," Johanna said, sending a grateful smile to Sebastian when he handed her a cup as well. "By the sounds of it, he isn't terribly picky about the women he takes, so I doubt it'll be too hard to get close to him."

"You make it sound so easy," Ciel commented. "Turpin was able to figure out that I was onto him almost immediately and he hasn't dropped his guard around me since. What makes you think you'll be able to gain his trust so easily?"

"It's not my fault you have about as much charisma as a piece of toast," Johanna retorted.

"Yes, and that's on a good day, my lady," Sebastian agreed, an amused look in his eye. "The young master has all the appeal of a stone wall any other day."

"Enough, you two," Ciel snapped. "Johanna, I need you to be serious right now."

"Fine, fine, you win," Johanna sighed with a wave of her hand. "In all seriousness, having a substantial amount of charisma is part of my job. What kind of assassin would I be if I wasn't able to charm a potential target if needed? Besides, so long as you and I don't arrive at the party together, this Turpin fellow will have no way of knowing that we're associated at all." She quirked an eyebrow at Ciel's confused look. "Well, you told me that Turpin already suspects that you're on to him, right? If we arrived to the party together, it wouldn't be unreasonable for him to assume that we're familiar in some way and that would only make it harder for me to get close to him."

"You make a fair point," Ciel conceded. "We'll arrive separately, then. I'd say a ten minute gap would be more than enough time to erase any suspicion. But even if he doesn't make the connection between the two of us, how are you so sure he won't recognise you?"

"O, ye of little faith," Johanna snarked. "You should know by now that my grandmother is currently the only member of our family that spends any significant amount of time in the public eye. Most people don't know the true identities of the Vipers of Belfast or what we look like."

"Just the same, there are many people with connections in Britain's underworld that would be able to figure it out and to learn that the Sweeneys and Phantomhives have been allied for generations," Ciel retorted. "Not to mention that nearly every single person in your family has bright blue eyes; anyone with the slightest idea of what to look for could pick you out of a crowd."

"Sharp as ever, Ciel," Johanna replied. "However, my family has already come up with a way to counter our unique eye color." She reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out what appeared to be a small container. Ciel quirked an eyebrow when she removed the lid and he saw what looked like a clear disc floating in some sort of solution.

"What are you going to do with that?" the young earl asked.

"Just watch," Johanna replied as she carefully placed the disc over her eye. After blinking a few times, she leveled her gaze back at Ciel to show that her once-blue eye was now a dark brown color.

Ciel's visible eye widened in surprise. "How did you do that?! What was that disc you used?"

"It's just one of our tricks of the trade. I can't tell you exactly what it's made from since Grandmother was pretty tight-lipped about it when she gave them to my brother and me, but these little discs have been an incredible boon to us over the past few years," Johanna explained. "All we have to do is put these on over our lens and they can make us look like another person entirely; this is also what lets us hide in plain sight. It took some practice before we were able to put them on as quickly as I did, though. And our family hasn't developed a permanent lens, meaning these are only usable for a short period of time. Still, I imagine I won't need to use them for anything but the party while I'm here."

"Remarkable," Ciel commented. "Is that the only trick you brought with you?"

"Of course not. I am nothing if not prepared," Johanna replied, removing the disc and placing it back in the container. "However, this is only trick I plan on showing you for now. I can't be giving away all my family's secret." Her gaze suddenly turned serious. "I assume I don't need to tell you that what I just showed you must remain a secret. The general public knows nothing about this; hardly anyone outside of our family does."

"Naturally," Ciel agreed.

Johanna's face softened as she studied Ciel. After she finished her tea, she carefully set the cup aside before standing and walking to the boy's side. Ciel grunted as she pulled him into a hug. "It's good to see you again, Ciel. Nicholas and I feel awful that we haven't been able to come and see you for so long."

"D-Don't be ridiculous!" Ciel stammered as his cheeks flushed pink. "Our responsibilities are probably going to keep us apart more often than not. There's no point in getting sentimental. Now will you please let me go?"

* * *

Johanna left Ciel's study a little while later and headed back to her room to rest until it was time for dinner. ' _No matter how often or how far I have to travel, it always ends up taking more out of me than it should. I loke getting to see new places well enough, but it'd be nice to stay in one place for a while._ ' She sighed as she flopped onto the bed, closing her eyes as she did so. ' _There's nothing that can be done about it, I suppose. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a little shut-eye before it's time for dinner._ '

A soft hissing sound next to her and the feeling of something smooth curling up against her neck startled Johanna out of her thoughts. Her eyes snapped open and she jerked her head back and toward the sound, only to come face-to-snout with a white snake coiled up on her bed. "Umm..." The snake didn't display any sign of aggression; it just stayed where it was and watched Johanna curiously. "Hi there...Snakey. Did you need something?"

The snake simply pointed its tail at the bedroom door.

"You want out of this room?" Johanna asked, carefully moving away from the snake to stand up. The snake responded by slithering its way up her arm, coming to rest when it draped itself across her shoulders. "I'll take that as a 'yes'." She made her way down the down the hallways of the manor, turning occasionally when the snake pointed her in a different direction. ' _I feel like I should be concerned about the fact that this snake is just wandering around the manor, but I guess this is just par for the course in the Phantomhive household. Ciel mentioned that he'd acquired a new servant with an affinity for snakes in one of his letters; I'm guessing that's who this little guy belongs to. It would certainly explain why he climbed onto me so readily._ '

"' _Oh honestly, Keats, we can't leave you alone for more than a few moments, can we?_ ' asks Emily," came a new voice.

Johanna turned toward the voice to see a boy with silver hair and yellow eyes standing a short ways behind her. She thought she caught a few patches of what looked to be scales on his face but she was quickly distracted by the snakes wound around his shoulders and arms. "So...I'm guessing this little guy is one of yours, then?" she asked, nodding toward the snake resting on her shoulders.

"' _Indeed he is. I must say, though, it's quite unlike him to take to a newcomer so quickly._ ' Yes, Bronte. That's very true," the boy replied.

Johanna smiled, stepping closer to the boy so the snake on her shoulders could transfer back to his master. "You must be Snake, then. Ciel told me about you."

"That's correct," the boy affirmed. The grey snake (Keats, Johanna assumed) tilted its head to look at her curiously. "' _You don't sound very surprised. Surely a snake-handling footman isn't something you've come across too often._ ' observes Keats."

Johanna laughed. "It's true. You all are easily the most memorable servants I've encountered. I'm afraid I'm not easily surprised, though. My line of work means that I have to be prepared for anything. I have to admit, though, Keats did catch me off-guard a bit earlier." She paused. "What was he doing in my bedroom anyway? Ciel told me that your snakes rarely stray very far unless you've ordered them to."

"' _I suppose I must apologize for that , my Lady. You see, I was accidentally shut into that room when we were preparing it for your arrival earlier this morning._ ' I see. So that's where you've been all day, Keats," Snake explained.

"But I'm certain you weren't on my bed when I moved to lie down," Johanna pointed out.

"' _Ah, y-yes well...you see I hadn't intended to reveal myself to you at all; my plan was to sneak out the door the next time you left the room. It was only that...well, your natural fragrance is a very alluring one. Not to mention that lovely warm skin of yours._ ' That's certainly forward of you, isn't it Keats?" Snake replied. He glanced over to Johanna was pleasantly surprised to see a pink flush washing over her cheeks at the compliment. He'd expected her to be at least mildly repulsed by the statement, but she'd reacted to it as if she'd complimented by someone without his...quirks. In fact, he wasn't entirely sure Johanna had noticed his abnormalities; he'd been paying close attention to her eyes throughout their entire conversation and he hadn't seen them drift toward his scales at any point nor did any disgust or other unpleasant emotion flicker through them. His careful observation of her eyes _did_ lead him to a realization, however: Never before had he met a person with such beautiful, expressive eyes.

"Pardon the interruption, my Lady," Sebastian called as he approached the pair. "I've come to inform that dinner is now ready. The young Master is requesting your presence."

"Oh! Oh yes, of course," Johanna replied before turning and sending Snake one last smile. "Looks like I'm being summoned. It was nice meeting you and your snakes today, truly." She took a few steps toward Sebastian before turning back to look at Snake again. "I'll see you later on, yeah?"

"' _I should certainly hope so._ ' As Webster says, we'll be seeing you, my Lady," Snake agreed. He kept his gaze on Johanna as she followed after Sebastian, only dropping it once the two had rounded a corner. Oddly enough, he found himself nearly smiling. "So that's Johanna Sweeney, is it? I knew she was a noblewoman, but I hadn't expected her to be so lovely. I imagine the manor is only going to get more interesting with her around."

* * *

 **Ending Notes: Snake's snakes are totally going to make the best wingmen ever! Keats is probably going to be the smoothest of smooth operators.**

 **I'm know I'm pushing it a bit with the colored contacts, but the Black Butler universe seems to be a bit of an anachronism stew anyway so I figured it couldn't hurt. Besides, I did a little research and contact lenses actually did exist (in a fashion, at least) during the time period; they just aren't the more modern ones Johanna is using. We get to the party in the next chapter, so we'll finally get to see Johanna act like a cold-blooded killer. Up until now, she's been in her 'off-duty' mode and I'm really excited to write her being a cold, hard bitch.**

 **As always, feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome! Thank you all so much for reading! Geekinthepink, out!**


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